The Arrange window of Logic 6 now features a new “Freeze” button on all audio and audio instrument tracks. The basic concept behind this feature is to maximize the CPU resources available to Logic. “Freezing” CPU-demanding tracks, such as tracks using complex software instruments and effect plug-ins, reduces their CPU-load down to the very minimal demand of an unprocessed stereo audio track – thus freeing-up potentially very large amounts of CPU-power which can be used for other purposes. This also allows the playback of Logic songs created on faster machines which would normally overload a slower machine’s CPU processing capabilities. All users will benefit from this feature, regardless of the computer being used – put simply – more plug-ins, more audio instruments and more tracks can be used simultaneously. Tracks can be unfreezed at any time for further editing.

OK, I'll mostly just watch and learn about OSX and DAWS here. One never knows what the future holds.

But I do have to make one comment. I've had the equivalent of Logic's "Freeze" function on my DAW, which is now out of manufacter, for a little over two years now.

What most Logic users I know (who are most often synth programmers ) will really appreciate about this development is the ability to bounce tracks with effects faster than a single pair in realtime. I mean, talk about tedious. Hours wasted there. Guys doing synth work for me in Logic were often near tears when watching me render plugins to disk on a track in just seconds.

Once you get it, you wonder how you ever lived without it. I have plenty of CPU horsepower; that's not so big a deal to me. It's being able to render 30 or 40 tracks with plugins for export to another studio or platform, in about the time it would take to play the song through once, that cranks me up.

These are just off the top of my head. Yea, I know, the close and very close are of no real help... but if you're really impatient, FXpansion's VST to AU adapter is supposed to be released tomorrow for $75. It will allow you to use any 'carbonized' VST plugin as an AU in Logic or any other AU host. That should tide us over until the real AUs are released.